DAY SIXTY FOUR - IT'S LIKE CRACK

But it's the most Argentine thing you could do!

It didn't make my Top Ten Experiences because its more than an experience all on its own and its not my FAVOURITE thing to do but possibly the most bizarre yet strangely normal thing to do around these parts. It encompasses the Argentine ideology of Social Sharing - similar to the likes of the Asado process of cooking and serving certain cuts of meats one at a time and then passing amongst the group and also like consuming booze out of one large oversized plastic cup that is shared around your friends at a "Disco". 


In NZ we have had a childhood of over protective parents and even T.V adverts in the past scaring us away from sharing drinks to stop the spreading of meningococcal meningitis! But here people are sitting in parks, learning in lecture theaters, occupying desks at work, catching up with friends all whilst sharing a "Mate"with friends, family, students/lectures or work colleagues.

"LA YERBA MATE DESPIERTA A LOS DORMIDOS, CORRIGE A LOS HARAGANES Y HACE HERMANAS A LAS GENTES QUE NO SE CONOCEN."

"The Yerba Mate wakes the sleepers, corrects the lazy and makes people sisters (brothers) who do not know each other", and since this is such an integral part of Argentine customs, I am dedicating two blogs to this possibly socially addictive tea type drink containing not caffeine but Marteine, "Yerba Mate" - tomorrow I will explore the very important process or "ritual" (you could say) of preparing the Mate.
Pronounced "Mahtay" in Spanish but funnily enough in English "mate" is a slang word for friend.

"Another Mahtay mate?"

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